New to the Nutcracker? Imagine it’s Christmastime, snowy outside and presents under the tree. You are getting your dancer ready to perform in their first ever Nutcracker: dressing them in their costume, putting on their makeup, sprinkling glitter in their hair. Your family is dressed in their holiday best, grandparents are coming to town and you are all headed to see your darling dancer shine on stage in their first ever Nutcracker performance.
Are you an experienced Nutcracker dancer? Picture yourself: Landing a lead role you’ve always dreamed of - Clara, Sugar Plum Fairy, Snow Queen or the Nutcracker! Envision being challenged in rehearsals by talented, youth-specialized choreographers, collaborating with other passionate dancers like yourself, persevering towards your goal of nailing your performance, and the roar of applause on show night as you dazzle the audience in your jaw-dropping costume and pointe shoes!
Brio Studios is the only studio in the Milwaukee area with a focus on youth ballet productions. As a member of the ballet Conservatory, you will have the opportunity to participate in full stage productions and performances!
You Will Receive:
Participation in A World Class Production, fully youth casted with all roles filled by you: the talented youth dancers of greater Milwaukee
Custom, Ornate Costuming
Technical Training & Choreography
Roles for dancers from Beginning to Pre Professional
Stunning Stage Design & Professional Lighting
An Unforgettable Family Experience and Memories to Last a Lifetime!
If you dream it, we can make it come to life!
From a tiny dancer, Aeris dreamed of being Clara, twirling with her Nutcracker on stage! Always a committed dancer and a member of Wisconsin’s Ballet Conservatory, Aeris achieved her dreams! Follow below for Aeris’s journey from Preschool to Performer!
Aeris, age 3
Aeris, age 10
Listen to Aeris share her experience as Clara!
Joining the Nutcracker is EASY and open to all dancers in the Community!
Follow below to experience the magic!
Your dancer is welcome here to grow their skills and love of dance. Whether you’re a new dancer auditioning to be a part of the Party Scene or Mouse Battle, or a pointe dancer dreaming of becoming the Sugar Plum Fairy, there is a role for you.
This show will be double cast, with four productions in total. Performers will participate in a total of 4 performanes during the production week.
PRINCIPAL ROLES
Clara
Nutcracker
Dew Drop
Snow Queen
SOLOISTS
Music Box Doll
Soldierette Doll
Mouse Queen
Ferdinand
SMALL GROUPS
Maids (Party Scene)
Clara’s Friends
Taffy (Arabian)
Cotton Candy (Chinese)
Marzipan
Peppermint
Flower demi soloists
ENSEMBLE PIECES
Party Scene (Party girls, Party Boys, Party Parents)
Soldierettes
Rats
Baby Mice
Gingerbreads
Flurries
Gumdrops
Candy Canes
Snowflakes
Waltz of Flowers
AUDITIONS: Sunday, August 11th
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• It is $135 to reserve your spot to audition. This amount will be applied towards your rehearsal fees.
• There are no additional costs for rehearsals beyond the $135 for your dancer.
• Costume Fees are determined by your role.
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Costume fees are determined based on roles:
• Ensemble - $145 per costume
• Featured Role - $185
• Supporting Lead - $250
• Principle Role - $375
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• Ages 4 - 18. Students must be 4 years old by audition date to audition.
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• Nope! This is a community based production. Nutcracker brings children from all over Wisconsin together and do what they love…perform! Dancers do not have to be a current member at Brio Studios to audition. Students from the greater Milwaukee area are invited to audition: Brookfield, Sussex, Menomonee Falls, Pewaukee, Waukesha, Hartland, Delafield, Oconomowoc, Wauwatosa, Milwaukee, New Berlin, Shorewood, Whitefish Bay, and beyond are welcome to audition.
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• Because our Nutcracker is fully youth-casted, we have an ample amount of roles for all ages & ability levels available from mice to Clara herself! This means whether you are new to dance or have years of experience, you play an essential role in putting on the show. See our Available Roles under the Audition Section to see what parts would apply for your dancer
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Yes! This is community performance, where children who love dance and performance of all ages, experiences, and home dance studios come to celebrate the Nutcracker. Here, we will facilitate bonding among the cast. Like a “summer camp experience”, your child will make new friends, and memories that last longer than just the holiday season.
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• Placements in featured and principal roles will be determined by ability level and performance quality, while placements for ensemble roles are open to all levels of dancers. Students may be casted in multiple roles.
• Casts average 100 students. Featured & Principal roles may be double casted dependent on the talent level at auditions and to support in the event a child is unable to attend or perform.
• Children will find out their roles within one week after audition dates.
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Auditions will take place on Sunday, August 11th.
Audition Day Schedule: Families will receive an email prior to audition day with final details.
• Auditions: Call Backs: Callbacks for any students the judges would like to see will be determined following auditions. Parents will receive an email by 5pm Sunday if a call back is being requested.
• When to Arrive: Dancers 7 and under, arrive no earlier than 10 minutes prior to audition time. Dancers 8+ may arrive up to 20 minutes before their audition time for independent warm up time in one of our open studios.
• What to Wear: Please wear a solid colored leotard, pink or white tights, pink ballet slippers, with hair pulled back into a bun, smooth from flyaways.
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Absolutely! Parents are welcome to stay in our lobby during your dancer’s audition time..
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Most dancers audition for 2+ roles In addition to a principal role they are auditioning for.
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We anticipate a double cast for our 2024 Production of the Nutcracker. There will be a total of 4 performances so dancers will have the opportunity to perform a minimum of 2 and maximum of 4 times during show weekend.
Rehearsal Schedule
Full Rehearsal Schedule will be available by the evening of Friday, August 23rd.
Rehearsals will take place on Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays from September - December.
Ensemble Roles: Approximately 8 hours rehearsals, over 8-10 dates this fall
Featured Roles: Approximately 15 hours of rehearsals, over 10-12 dates this fall
Principal Roles: Approximately 15-20 hours+ of rehearsals over 15+ dates this fall
Dress Rehearsal: November 19th
Performance Weekend: November 22 - November 24
Rehearsal Location
Rehearsals will be located at Brio Studios, 2945 N Brookfield Rd, Brookfield WI
Dress Rehearsal & Performances located at the Oak Creek Performing Arts Center.
Your dancer’s talent is elaborated by world class stage design and intricate lighting that provides an experience that is extraordinarily grand. You’ll even enjoy the comic figure of Mother Ginger — 55 pounds and eight feet wide! The costume requires handling by three people once it is lowered over the dancer's head!
Friday, November 20th | Saturday, November 21st | Sunday, November 22nd
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• Friday, November 22 - Sunday November 24 . Exact performance times will be released by the first week of October.
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• Performances: The Beautiful Oak Creek Performing Arts Center
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• Tickets will be available starting in August. More information to come!
• Sharing the art of dance with the community is deeply valued here at Brio Studios! For years we have been serving the community with sold out productions, allowing families traditional festivities to experience the joy of the season through the beautiful lens of our youth!
Originally from Beaver Dam, WI, Lily Edgar started dancing at the age of 4. In 2010 she transferred to the School of Madison Ballet to continue her ballet training. At the age of 18 she joined Madison Ballet, one of two professional companies in Wisconsin, where she danced professionally until April of this year, and performed in Madison Ballet productions on Overture Stage for over a decade. Some of her favorite roles include ‘Clara’ in a brand-new Nutcracker production choreographed by Sara Stewert Schuman in 2021. This role was especially special to Ms. Edgar as the role was choreographed for her by Schuman. She had the pleasure of performing various other roles and productions, notably so ‘Orange Girl’ soloist in ‘Birthday Variations’, by Gerald Arpino, Lucy in Eddy Brays ‘Dracula’ with Mainstage Academy, and many other featured roles in ballets, including ‘A Midsummer’s Night's Dream’ and ‘Cinderella’ with Madison Ballet.